Phoebe Putney staff enjoy brand new gym

Albany-- Over 800 Phoebe employees, Doctors, volunteers, and retirees have joined the center. It has a full basketball gym, exercise rooms, and a fitness center with 90 workout and strength machines.

The 42,000 square foot facility is in the back of the old Albany Middle School building, which is now Phoebe's education center. The recreation center includes a gameroom and ping pong and pool tables.

Phoebe employees can also sign up for planned exercise and wellness programs, with research following their progress.

"We're going to follow those people along for the course of a year," said Sports Medicine Director Dr. Nick Kilmel. "We will keep track of how much exercise they do, and follow all those markers down the road, and see how things hopefully correct as they go through their exercise.

Phoebe employees who meet 90 percent of their exercise and wellness recommendations get a ten dollar deduction off the cost of their health insurance each paycheck.

Fifteen part time employees were hired to run Phoebe's new wellness center.